Transformable lock.



H. LAUGHLIN, JR. & D. SGHUYLER.

TRANSFQRMABLE LOOK. APPLIOATION FILED JULY 1o, 1901.

Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Tg1/Z 229W 1917.122

l vieilli A )Hills Witnesses 'E NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTO-LITHO.. MIASHINGTUN. D. CV

H. LAUGHLIN, JR. & D. SCHUYLER.

TBANSFORMABLB LOGK.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 10,190.1.

Patented Jan 12, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Summum Witnesses THENDRRIS PETERS CO., PHOTO-LITHD., WASHINGTON. D. CA

HOMER LAUGI-ILIN, JR., AND DANIEL SCI-IUYLER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNORS TO THE PERFECT SLIDING DOOR COMPANY, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALI- FORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

TRANSFORMABLE LOCK.

Application filed July 10, 1901.

7 1o all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HOMER LAUGHLIN, Jr., and DANIEL SCHUYLER, citizens of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Transformable Lock, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to lock mechanism which is applicable for locks for outside and inside doors, both sliding and swinging, and in which the larger portion of all of the parts of any of the locks are adapted for use without change, in any of the other of the locks.

An object of producing a lock mechanism of this character is to greatly reduce the cost of manufacture and the cost of maintaining large stocks of assembled locks; also to increase the facilities for filling orders for any particular variety of locks.

The manufacturer, by this invention, is enabled to produce, with comparatively few tools and dies, several kinds of locks by the use of a comparatively small variety of pieces, and to be prepared to lill orders for several kinds of locks without carrying in stock the full complement of parts heretofore required to insure promptly filling such orders on short notice. That is to say, in our invention we produce parts which are interchangeably adapted for several varieties of locks. In producing the diiferent varieties of locks from the full complement of pieces embraced in this manufacture, some of the parts which go to make up one kind of lock will be omitted from some of the other kinds of locks, and vice versa.

Another object is to provide a superior lock of lighter weight and greater strength than previous locks designed for like uses.

Another object is to make extensive use of stamped sheet metal or other metal or material to replace many similar parts heretofore commonly made of cast metal, thus giving a stiff and tough construction at small expense and weight and avoiding, to a great extent, the use of machining and machine tools.

In carrying out this invention objectionable projecting knobs are avoided. The lock is made extremely thin where the handles are applied for turning the latch so that in Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 12, 1915.

Serial N o. 67,802.

the case of sliding doors, a recess can be provided in the face of the door suliiciently deep to chamber the handle inside the door.

In swinging doors, where it is desirable to have knobs which can be positively grasped to swing the door on its hinges, the knob will usually by preference extend somewhat from the face of the door; but by our invention the projection formed by the knob at the side of the door is greatly reduced from that formed by door-knobs of the former construction.

Another object is to provide a latch in connection with its catch-plate which cannot be unlatched by the vertical lifting of the door, but which, at the same time, may 1be readily unlatched by turning the knob or Another object is to contrive for certain classes of locks, lock mechanism of such a character that nearly all of the parts which go to make up a lock of one of said classes can be used without change to make up the larger part of any lock of any of the other of said classes of locks. That is to say, in

this invention we propose to provide in a certain swinging-door-lock nearly all of the parts which are necessary to make up a certain sliding-door-lock; and furthermore, the parts which go to make up said slidingdoor-lock constitute nearly all of the parts which go to make up said swinging-doorlock; of the nature of a night-latch lock, an

inside lock, a partition-door lock and a dou ble-door lock.

An object of our invention is to provide a lock in which there can be applied indiscriminately a latch moving in the are of a circle and a latch moving in a right line, whereby the major portion of either lock will serve for either kind of a lock, and the locks are practically interchangeable from swinging-doors to sliding-doors, and vice versa, by the substitution in a lock of one kind, of a latch or bolt and the face-plate therefor, for the other kind of a latch or bolt and the face-plate therefor.

In the construction hereinafter described we provide a latch construction for both sliding-door locks and swinging-door locks in which the snap-latch can be positively locked from both the outside and inside of the door by means of the key, so that it canapplied to a door and not be pushed by an instrument inserted between the door and the jamb. By this means the single latch is made to serve the double purpose of a latch and a bolt. No catch is required inside the house to lock the latch, and we thus maintain the security afforded by the use of such a catch and yet allow the door to be unlocked from the outside with the latch-key.

The accompanying drawings illustrate our invention as embodied in two types of locks.

Figure I is a view of a sliding-door lock with night-latch attachment andy with the catch-plate into which the sliding-door latch catches. Parts are broken away to expose parts which would otherwise be hidden and the door-knob and the escutcheon and finishing-plate, and one of the side-plates of the frame of the lock are omitted from the view. Fig. II isa like view of our lock applied for swinging-doors. Fig. III is ar broken section of the completed lock on a plane indicated by III-III, Fig. I; a fragment of the door is shown. One of the latch-.operating members is broken away to avoid confusion with the night latch lever. Fig. IV is a section of the lock on line indicated by IV-IV, Fig. I. Fig. V show-s our lock door-post, fragments of which are shown. Figs. VI, VII and VIII areface, edge and back views, respectively, of a catch-plate which is applicable to both forms of locks. Fig. IX shows the sliding-door lock when parts are omittedy to omit the night-latch feature. Fig. X shows the swinging-door lock when the night-latch feature is omitted.

1 indicates a side plate of the main body of the case or frame of the lock, said plate being preferably formed of sheet metal stamped up to form a wall 2 around three edges to inclose the space behind the mortise face-plate 3. The wall 2 of the frame yhas a narrowed portion l at one corner, and the opposite plates 1 and 10 of the frame are bent toward each other at said corner thereby to form a thin portion of the lock ,through which the latch-operating stem or shaft extends to receive at its opposite ends the portions of the lock exterior to the frame, viz: the knobs or handles by which the latch is to be operated. This construction of the lock serves a double purpose in that it allows a very short stem or shaft to be used and it also allows a countersink to be provided in the door in which a flush handle may be applied for sliding doors, so that the sliding door will be provided with a handle which does not project from the face of the door; and this construction also allows the door knob for a swinging door to be largely seated inside the door, thereby l doing away with the necessity of so great a projection of said knob from the face of the door as heretofore required.

5 indicates the shaft or stem for the knobs or handles of the door. Such shaft differs from door handle shafts heretofore made in that it is directly journaled in the frame of the lock and is furnished in its periphery with a recess which is open to the end of the shaft. In night latch locks in which the inside knob is to turn freely when the outside knob is locked, the shaft will be formed in two peripherally recessed cylindrical members 7 and 8, swiveled together by a suitable pivot 9 and the recesses 6, 6 in the peripheries of the shaft sections respectively will preferably be staggered relative to each other, thus to cause the inner ends of the sections to form between the open ends of the recesses stops to engage with the internal part or parts of the lock to prevent withdrawal of the shaft through the side plates 1 and 10 of the frame of the lock. The parts of the shaft thus left cylindrical, fit circular holes in theplates 1 and 10 to form a bearing for the latch which thus is free to be swung. The latch mechanism in said frame is preferably of sheet steel and comprises a latch which may be a swinging latch 11 for a sliding door lock, or a sliding latch 12 for a swinging door lock, and a latch-operating member which may be an integral part of the shank of the latch as shown at 13, 13 in Figs. I, III and IV or which may be an independent part as shown at lil in Fig. II. The latch-operating members are respectively perforated to receive the shaft, and each is there furnished withis arranged within the frame to be drawn l into and out of position for engaging said stop when the latch is in latched position. Resilient means are provided for yieldingly holding the latch in latching position. 18 indicates a spring serving thisppurpose. The spring is not essential to the swinging latch 11 shownin Fig. I for the sliding door, the force of gravity being sufficient to hold said latch in latching position; but the spring is preferred for more positive action. Each of the latches 11 and 12 is provided with seats 19 and 20, said seats being on the shanks 21 and 22 respectively of said latches. The spring 18 in each instance acts upon the seat 19 to operate the latch to throw it outward,fand the latchoperating members 13, 13, 14:, operate through the seat 19 against the force of the spring as the latch is retracted.'

17 indicates a latch-locking member which preferably consists of an arm pivoted in the frame and arranged to swing in an Varc between the stop or seat 16 and another stop or seat 20, which stops or seats are both on the shank of the latch which is bent to form the same. The latch shanks are differently formed for the uses of a sliding door and a swinging door and in Figs. I and II are respectively marked 21 and 22. It is to be understood that we do not limit kourselves to the specific forms of latch-Shanks shown.

Key operated locking means are provided for locking and unlocking'the latches when the same are mounted in the case, respectively, and such locking mechanism comprises a shaft preferably composed of the rotating barrel 23 of a barrel lock, said shaft being journaled in holes 24C, 25, in the opposite plates 1 and 10, respectively, of the lock frame. 26 indicates a stop on the rotating shaft 23 to engage. opposite edges of the latch operating and locking member 17. The latch operating shaft 23 is preferably arranged to turn throughout an entire circle and the latch operating and latch locking member 17 is required to move only through an arc of said circle. The pin or stop 26 therefore of the shaft 23 revolves around from one side to the other side of the latch operating and locking member 17, and the arc embraced between the stop re` ceiving faces 27 and 28 is of sufficient amplitude to allow of a definite movement of the member 17 whereby the member 17 is moved by the revolution ofthe key shaft through a smaller arc than the key shaft.

In practical operation, when the key 29 is inserted into the key-barrel or shaft 23 and rotated one full rotation from right to left in Figs. I and II, and the key returned to its initial position for withdrawal from the lock, the member 17 will have been moved from the position shown in solid lines rin Figs. I and II ofthe drawings into the latch-locking position shown in dotted lines f in said Figs. I and II. The stop 26, it is to be understood, will in each instance, when at rest, stand at the same point as that indicated in solid lines in Figs. I and II when the key is in position to be withdrawn; and

Ltherefore positively holds the member 17 fromV retraction from its latch locking and from its latch releasing positions, respectively, as the case may be. lVhen the mem ber 17 is in its latch-releasing position shown in solid lines in Figs. I and II, it is in position ready to engage the seat 2O of the latch to retract the latch, so that when the key is inserted in the lock and the member' 17 is in position shofwn insolid lines, amovement of the key Ito throw thestop 26 downward to the left will cause the member 17 to retract the latch 11 or 12, as the case may be.

The mortise face plate for the sliding door and for the swinging door respectively may be of like construction, but preferably such face plate 30 for the swinging door nightlatch lock will not be an eXact duplicate of the mortise face plate 3 of the sliding door night latch lock. This difference will be hereinafter more fully explained. The latches for the sliding door lock and swinging, door lock respectively will consist of latch pieces 31, 32 respectively, fastened to sheet metal shanks 21 and 22, respectively, which are contained within the frame of the lock. Preferably the latch pieces 31 and 32 will be of cast metal and will be furnished with a split lug 33 in which trie sheet metal shank 21 or 22, as the case may be, will be inserted and secured by rivets or screws 34, within the discretion of the constructor.

The slot 35 for the latch 11 in the mortise face plate 3 willbe of greater length than the slot 36 in the mortise face plate 30 of the swinging door lock, and consequently the.

mortise face plates 3 and 30 will be differently constructed and will be interchangeable. That is to say, they are each adapted to the frame and may be applied thereto interchangeably, and are adapted to their respective latches. Preferably the push buttons 37 for the night latch device will be outside of the frame of the sliding door lock and inside the frame of the swinging door lock and the holes 33 in the plates 3 and 30 respectively will be located appropriately for this desired construction.

39 indicates the lever for throwing the night latch on and olf.

40 indicates the night latch dog to enter the notch 41 of the lever 39. This dog is perforated to fit the shaft 5 and is provided with a tooth 151 to enter the recess 6 of the member 7 of shaft 5.

Then the night latch is unlocked the outside knob can. be turned, thus rotating the member 7 of the stem and operating the latch-operating member 13 which is provided with a shank, broken away, and corresponding to the shank 21 shown in Fig. I and partly shown in Fig. III. It is to be understood that the duplicate construction in connection with the sectional shaft 5 applies to the form shown in Fig. II as well as to the form shown in Figs. I, III and IV. Vhen the stem 5 or either member thereof is turned, in the form shown in F ig. II, the member 14 acting on the seat 20 in opposition to the spring 13 will retract the latch 22. The night latch lever 39 with its notch 4:1 in combination with the dog l0 constitutes the independent latch-locking mechanism operated by the push buttons 37whereby the latch is locked and unlocked inde-y pendently of the removable key 29.

IBD

The rotating-barrel or shaft 23, its stop 26 and the member 17 constitute independent revoluble vkeyeoperated latch-retracting and latchslocking means, and the spring 18 constitutes resilient means for yieldingly holding the latch in latching position. When the member 17 is in a latch locking position it positively holds the latch locked, so that the latch forms a dead bolt to lock together the two bodies, as a door and jamb; and it cannot be unlatched without the use of the key to rotate the shaft 23.

The key-operated shaft 23 is preferably furnished with locking mechanism or means 42 of any suitable character for locking said shaft to prevent its rotation so that the lock will respond only to a key which is adapted for unlocking the shaft to rotate the same. Any form of barrel-lock or other suitable lock having a rotating shaft will serve the purpose. The member or arm 17 is pivoted inside the case coaxially of the key-operated shaft 23 to engage the seat 20 therefor which is formed by a bent portion of the sheet metal shank 21.

The means connected with the recessed shaft 5 for operating the latch are supported and held in place by the inbent portions of the plates l, 10, and by reason of the sheet metal construction the distance between the handles for the latch is reduced to a minimum.

In the sliding-door lock, it is desirable to prevent the door from being unlatched by the act ofy lifting the door. In order to avoid any such unlocking of the door, and also to provide for causing the latch to invariably catch when the member or body to be locked is moved toward the member or body to which it is to be locked, a catch plate is provided.

43 indicates a catch plate having therein a latch-receiving opening 44 of a definite length. 45 indicates the door or other body to be locked to such catch plate. The latch 31 is pivoted to said body 45 and is furnished on its opposite edges with a hook 46 and with a projection 47 respectively.y The distance between the ends of the latch-receiving opening 44 of the catch plate is less than the distance between the end of thel hook 46 and the end 47 of the projection. Said yprojection 47 is within an arc 48 described from the pivot axis 5 of the latch and substantially tangent to the end of said projection.

49 indicates a mortised catch plate support, which, vin the case of a door, may be the door-jamb. The catch-plate 43 or 53, as the case may be, will be adjustably mounted inthe mortise 50 in said catch-plate support and will be furnished with a latch-receiving opening 44 or 52, as the case may be, vof definite size appropriate for the latch to be caught. v

54 indicates afinishing plate .furnished with a latch-receiving opening 55 smaller than either the catch plate 43 or the catch plate 53, as the case may be, and larger than the opening 44 or 52 in either of the catch plates 43 or Any suitable means may be provided for adjustably fastening the catch plate in position relative to the finishing plate. Preferably twoy projecting parts 56 are provided behind the catch plate project ing slightly beyond the finishing plate. Said finishing plate is preferably furnished with a recess 57 in which the catch plate 43 or 53,as the case may be, is chambered, with the exception of the projections 56. These projections seat against the bottom of the mortise 50 in the catch plate support 49 and screws 58 are screwed through the finishing plate 54 and into the support 49 to bindthe finishing plate against the catch plate, thus to firmly clamp the catch plate in position.

In order thatv the finishing-plate and catch-plate may be as a` single piece for convenience, screws 59 are provided to fasten the two plates together. Preferably the screw 59 is passed through the finishing plate and through the catch plate and is screwed into a nut which forms one of the projections 56 at the rear of the catch plate. These screws may be dispensed` with if desired. l

60 indicates corrugations between the catch plate and the finishing plate in order to firmly hold the catch plate from slipping.

In order to adjust the catch plate to the proper height for. the latch of the door or body 45 to be locked, the necessary screws 58 or 59, as the case may be, willbe loosened tc release the catch'plate and allow it to be adjusted; then the screws will be again tightened.

It is to be observed that by the construction and arrangement shown, the finishingplate is located iny front of the catch-plate and extends over the face of the catch-plate and conceals from view the greater portion of the catch-plate and all of its adjuncts and` adjusting devices excepting the heads of the screws, so that the appearance of the lock is practically unmarred by the adjustable feature.

62 indicates a handle or knob outside the frame andfurnished in its end with a seat 63 for the first-named latch-operating shaft 5 and with a tooth 64 in the recess 6. There are two of such handles, one on each side of the frame. Each handle is secured to the shank or spindles 5 in the same way. Each knobis provided with a seat 63 and tooth 64, one of said teeth engaging recess 6 and the other, recess 6. Suitable means, such as the face and escutcheon plate 65, are provided for holding the handle in a determined position relativey to said shaft. The`v handle is journaled in the plate 65 and is fastened therein by any suitable means, such, for instance, as the ring 66, fastened on a projection 67 of the handle, and a shoulder 68. The plate 65 is embraced between the ring 66 and the shoulder 68. It is to be understood that in ordinary practice, handles 62 Will be provided for the opposite sides of the block respectively.

Now having described our invention, What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A transformable lock comprising a block frame; a latch locking mechanism arranged in said frame; interchangeable latches of different kinds respectively, for said frame, said locking mechanism being adapted and arranged for locking said interchangeable latches when latched respectively; and interchangeable face-plates for said frame,

adapted to said latches.

2. A. transformable lock comprising a lock-frame; latch retracting and locking mechanism arranged in said frame; a latch projecting spring in said frame; inter- 'i changeable latches of different kinds respectively furnished With seats for said spring and for said latch retracting and locking mechanism respectively; and interchangeable face-plates for said frame adapted respectively to said latches.

3. A lock furnished With a latch; means for yieldingly holding the latch in latching position; a. rotating shaft operatively connected with the latch to retract the same; a second rotating shaft operatively connected with the latch to retract the same independent of the first-named shaft and also to stop the latch in its latched position.

4. A lock furnished With a latch; means i for yieldingly holding the latch in latching position; a rotating shaft operatively connected with the latch to retract the same; a second rotating shaft; a pivoted arm arranged coaXially with said second shaft to engage the latch when in one position to retract the same and to stop the latch When in another. position to positively lock the same; a stop being provided on said second rotating shaft to engage the arm on opposite sides thereof to move the arm into the one and the other position.

A lock furnished with a latch; means for yieldingly holding the latch in latching position; a rotating shaft operatively connected with the latch to retract the same; a second rotating shaft; a pivoted arm arranged coaXially With said second shaft to stop the latch when in a determined position to positively lock the same; a stop being provided on said second rotating shaft to engage the arm on opposite sides thereof to move the arm into and out of latch stopping position.

6. A lock furnished with a latch; means for yieldingly holding the latch in latching position; a rotating shaftl operatively connected with the latch to retract the same; a key operated rotating shaft; a pivoted arm arranged coaXially with said key operated shaft to stop the latch When in a determined position ,to positively lock the same; means for locking said key operated shaft; a stop being provided on said key operated shaft to engage the arm on opposite sides to move the arm into and out of latch stopping position.

7. A. lock comprising a lock frame consisting of two side plates which inclose the lock mechanism between them and being inbent at a portion thereof and perforated through the inbent portion to form a bearing for a shaft to operate the latch of the lock; a latch in'said lock frame; means supported by said plates for operating said latch; and a shaft inserted through the perforations in said plates and through said latch operating means.

8. lock comprising a catch plate having a latch-receiving opening therein of a definite length; a member to be locked to said catch plate; a latch pivoted to said member and .furnished on its opposite edges with a hook and With a projection respectively, the distance between the ends of the latch-receiving opening of the catch plate being less than the distance between the end of the hook and the end of said projection, said projection being Within an arc described from the pivot aXis of the latch and tangent to the end of said projection.

9. In a lock, the combination of a frame; a latch having a hook pivoted to the frame; a pivoted stop to intercept the latch to hold it in latched position; a rotary part carried by the frame and independent of said stop to move said stop into and out of its latch intercepting position; and a key for turning said rotary part.

10. A lock comprising a frame; a face plate for the frame furnished With a latch opening; av latch extending through said latch opening and furnished inside the frame With a sheet metal shank provided with a latch-locking stop and a latch retracting stop; a sheet metal member'constructed to retract the latch or to lock the latch in latched position; and a shaft rotating in said frame and furnished With a stop to engage opposite sides of said sheet metal member to retract the latch or to lock it respectively at the close of opposite rotations of the shaft.

11. A lock comprising a frame; a face plate for the frame furnished with a latch opening; a latch extending through said latch opening and furnished inside the frame with a shank provided with a latchlocking stop and a latch-retracting stop; yielding means for holding the latch in latching position; a member inside the frame adapted and arranged to play betiveen and engage with said stops'to retract the latch or to lock the latch in latched position; and a shaft rotating in said frame and furnished with a stop to engage opposite sides of said member to operate the same to retract the latch or to lock it respectively at the close of opposite rotations of the shaft.

12. A lock comprising a frame; a shaft journaled in the frame and furnished in its side with a recess which opens to the end of the shaft; a latch, and a latch-operating member perfo-rated to receive the shaft and provided With a tooth in said recess.

13. A lock comprising a frame; a shaft journaled in the frame and furnished in its side with recesses respectively opening at the opposite ends of the shaft; and a stop between said open ends; a member inside the frame perforated to receive the shaft and provided with a tooth in one of said recesses; a latch, and a latch-operating member perforated to receive said shaft and furnished With a tooth in the other recess.

14C. A lock comprising a frame; a shaft formed in tWo members sWiveled together and onrnaled in the frame and furnished in the side With recesses which open at the ends of the shaft, respectively; a member inside the frame perforated to receive the shaft and provided With a tooth in one of said recesses; a latch, and a latch-operating member perforated to receive the shaft and provided With a tooth in the other of said recesses.

15. A lock comprising a frame; a shaft journaled in the frame and furnished in its side with a recess which opens at 'the end of the shaft; a latch, and a latch-operating member inside 'the frame perforated to receive the shaft and provided with a tooth in said recess; and a handle outside the frame and furnished in its end with a seat for said shaft, and With a tooth in said `recess; and means for holding said handle in a determined position relative to said shaft.

Copies `of this patent may be obtained for 16. A lock comprising a frame; a shaft journaled in the frame and recessed in its side; a latch and latch-operating member inside the frame, said member perforated to receive said sha-ft and furnished With a tooth in the side recess of the shaft; handles outside the frame and furnished in their ends with seats respectively for said shaft and With teeth respectively in the recesses of said shaft; and means for holding said handles respectively in determined position rela-tive to said shaft.

17; A lock comprising a frame; a shaft formed of tivo parts journaled in the frame to rotate independently of each other and recessed in their sides, respectively; a latch and latchoperating member inside the frame,l latch operating members for said latches; said latch operating members being perforated, one to receive one of said recessed parts, and the other to receive the other of said parts, and each furnished with a tooth in the recess of lthe part it receives; handles outside the frame and frirnished in their ends with seats respectively for said shaft and With teeth respectively in the recesses of said shaft; and means for holding said handles respectively in deter# mined position relative to said shaft.

18. In a lock, the combination of a latch normally held in latching position; a key to operate said latch; means for nnlatching the latch operated by rotating the key in one direction from a determined position; and means for positively holding the latch in latched position, the same being opi erable only upon rotating the key a full rotation in the opposite direction vfrom the said determined position.

In testimony whereof We have signed our names to this specification, in the presence of tvvo subscribing Witnesses, atv Los'Angeles, California, this 8th day of June,

HQMER LAUGI-ILIN, JR. DANIEL SCHUYLER. A Witnesses:

JAMES R. ToWNsEND, EA. WATERMAN.

ve cents each, by addressing the Gommissionxevr of latent,

Washington, D. C. 

